Vientiane Laos 2015

Seems appropriate to start this post with a comment that the Parisians will not be bent by what has just happened in their city, the city of light and communal struggle for generations.

To Vientiane. Someone said the city had lost its charm. I don’t know about that. It is well treed, and kept very clean even if parts of it look a bit the worse for wear. I was reminded of old Havana.

Two observations about trees in this old part of the city – some of them are named and the streets are lined with them.

As an indication of the things that unite us I was reflecting on the City of Melbourne urban forest strategy as I walked about this morning. I don’t know whether people write love letters to the trees here as we do in Melbourne, if they don’t maybe they should?
This is Fa ngoum Road.

And a walk along that road brings you to the Chao Anouvong Park where I found this reminder of home….Euroa has great old Morton Bay Figs at the Showgrounds and there are still a few alrund our town.

And this one is really is from home – a eucalypt…..

Our Forests in the Asia Pacaific Region work here with University of Melbourne and others will be an eye opener about how much we have exported.

But, if you do want neat and orderly it can be found in the Park and along the boulevards.

The last time I saw topiary this ubiquitous it was in Winton in western Queensland.

The grandeur remains.

As does some of the simple beauty which goes with being in the tropics.